Alone
by GAnonymous123
Summary: During Eclipse. What would happen if Edward didn't stay with Bella during the fight, instead fighting with his family, if they never made the connection between Victoria and the newborn army, Seth had been given "orders" not to take Bella to the clearing and Bella was left alone with a vindictive vampire looking for revenge. T for later chapters. Normal characters and pairings.
1. Prequel

**Okay so this is just an idea on how I think the story could have gone. If you don't like the idea in the summary, the don't read it-although I really do hope you read it ;) **

**Unfortunately for me...I have to tell you that I don't own twilight or any of the character because they all belong to Stephanie Meyer. As much as I wish I did, I don't so...yeah.**

**This first chapter is a prequel with a rework of a scene from the Eclipse and some other stuff too. It's really important so I suggest you read it or the rest of the story won't make much sense.**

**It starts off from Chapter 19. Selfish were Bella is supposed to ask Edward to stay with her instead of fight...my story doesn't go quite like that but you'll have to read to find out what happens :p Enjoy! (Hopefully)**

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Prequel

I was sitting in Edward's arms on my bed and he was scolding me over the call he'd just gotten from Alice, informing him of my plans to go to the clearing. I knew that there wasn't really a way to get past hi with Alice knowing my decisions better than I did, but the thought of not being there, of not being with Edward, scared me more then he could ever know.

Then, another path occurred to me.

It wasn't so much that I had to be in the clearing. I just had to be where Edward was. Or he had to be where I was.

_Cruel, _I accused myself, _Selfish, selfish selfish! Don't do it!_

After a few moments, listened to my better side, my reasonable side, and abandoned the idea. I would not make Edward chose between me and his family. I knew that I would survive the night and day without him, but if something were to happen to one of his family members because I had selfishly asked him to stay with me instead of fight alongside his family, I would never be able to forgive myself.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked me quietly.

I sighed, knowing I had lost the battle. "Nothing," I responded. "I'm just worried is all. I don't want anything to happen to you, or anyone else for that matter. Especially not over me." I had been looking down as I spoke, not wanting him to see how much it would kill me to be apart from him during this; how much it would kill me to not know whether I'd ever see him again; how much this brought back painful memories of my life without him. He must have sensed my unease because in seconds, his hand was under my chin gently bringing my face up to his, until our eyes met. His were soft and full of love for me and they instantly had me hypnotized, dazzled by his tender gaze.

"Bella," he said softly, "Trust me. Nothing is going to happen. Not to me or anyone else. I promise you, everything will be okay. I won't be far and it will be over quickly."

"I can't stand it," I said. "Not knowing whether or not you'll come back. How can I live through that, no matter how quickly it's over." My head had bowed again but like before he brought my eyes back up to his.

Softly he said, "Bella listen to me. Really listen, okay?" I nodded and he continued. ''Bella, it's going to be _easy._ There is no reason at all for your fears." When he finished, his eyes stared into mine, so focused, so dazzling. I knew he was trying to convey to me that my fears were irrational, and to him I knew they were, that he thought there was no reason to fear, but I did not. I had lived through not knowing if I would ever see him again, and it had nearly killed me. The rational part of my brain knew that these weren't the same things, but my heart, my emotions, they were screaming at me, begging me to make him stay with me instead of leave me again. But looking into Edward's eyes, I couldn't bring myself to do. And so, I sat up straighter in Edward's arms, closed my eyes and nodded ,my head. Telling him that I believed him, even if I didn't really, and that I wouldn't try to go to the clearing during the fight. I felt his cool hand gently rest on my cheek and slowly I opened my eyes. He was giving me one of his crooked smiles that I loved best, and I relaxed my position.

"Everything will be okay Bella, I promise." He said it so reassuringly that for a second I almost believed him. Almost.

But this was my own problem to deal with, not his. So I smiled slightly and said, "I know your right, I'm just going to miss you a lot." I could feel a blush creeping up my neck and coloring my cheeks and Edwards hand traveled the flow of the blood, resting his hand on my cheek. I sighed and leaned into it.

"Trust me Bella," he said with a slightly sad smile on his beautiful face, "Being apart from you is the last thing I want to do. Even if it is so that I can protect you. You will be in my every thought for every moment that I am gone. " I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder, relaxing into him completely. He brought his arms around me and pulled me as close to him as I could possibly be without breaking. It was all too soon when I heard him sigh and say, "I have to leave now Bella. I need to go talk to the others about some things but I'll be back tonight, okay?" I nodded into his shoulder reluctantly disentangling myself from his cold embrace. Once we were both standing, he pulled me into a kiss, that while short, still left me breathless. And after whispering the words _I love you, _he was gone and I was alone again.

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**MUST READ THIS AN OR YOU WILL GET CONFUSED LATER ON!**

**Okay, so because what I really want to write about comes later on in the book, around the fight scenes, I'm just going to give a quick summary of what happens in my version of the story from here until when the next chapter picks up:**

**So since Edward isn't staying with Bella, it is still just Seth staying with Bella during the fight while she is at the camp site. Bella never made the connection between the army and Victoria, so for all they know, it's just a newborn army after Bella. Everything else is pretty much the same up until the day before the fight, when Bella goes to the campsite. Jacob brings her like he did In the book and Edward is there as well and the whole Edward and Jacob fighting over Bella while she's asleep scene still happens (minus the parts about Edward staying with Bella and Victoria-I think they talk about Victoria a little, right?) Anyways, in the morning, after Bella wakes up, instead of what happened in the books, what happens is Edward and Bella talk and are all lovey dovey and mushy and all that good stuff and then Edward tells her goodbye. Then Jacob and Edward go to join the other Cullens and the rest of the pack, leaving Bella alone with Seth at the campsite. That's about where the story picks up again.**

**Hope you guys liked it. Please rate and review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Again, I have the great misfortune of having to inform you that I don't own Twilight or any of the characters because they all belong to Stephanie Meyer. I really wish I could tell you otherwise, but I can't so…yeah**

**Anyway, on with story. Hope you like this chapter. It starts where the summary at the end of my last chapter ended. If you didn't read that, then you should because it will help things make more sense. Enjoy (I hope) :)**

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Chapter 1

I sat in the tent with the blankets wrapped around my shoulders. Although I had warmed up significantly since last night's storm, I could still feel a lingering chill in my bones. Or maybe I was just nervous. Edward and Jacob left to join the fight a few minutes ago, leaving me with Seth. Edward was true to his word and made sure that Seth was given "orders" to not take me into the clearing. There was no way for me to help. So I sat and waited with an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was like a tangible object, my fear, a ball of ice that has settled in my core, spreading to my heart until I could feel the weight of it everywhere. Even though I knew it was an irrational fear, I still couldn't shake the feeling that Edward wouldn't be coming back, that we had just had our last goodbye, our last kiss. I tried to calm self down, to tamp down my fear and believe in Edward's reassurances. I decided that maybe standing up, stretching my legs and getting some fresh air might help. So, I set the blanket back onto the ground and unzipped the tent. I stood up and stretched out all of my tense muscles. I looked around the campsite for Seth but I couldn't see him. He must have been on the other side of the tent. I walked around and sure enough there was Seth, in wolf form, lying on the ground with an expression equivalent to pouting on his face. It was pretty comical to see. Then all of a sudden, he was on his paws ears piqued, muscles tensed in preparation.

"What is it, Seth?" I asked even though I knew he couldn't respond in a way I would understand. Before I knew what was happening, he had run into the nearby forest. I was about to follow when he came back in his human form, wearing only a pair of shorts. "Seth, what's going on?" I asked again, with more panic now. I knew something bad was going to happen. I could feel it. I should have-

"Don't worry, it's probably nothing," Seth interrupted my thoughts. His words calmed me slightly but I was still on edge.

"Then what's the problem?" I asked cautiously.

"It's just…I heard something in the woods. It sounded too, I don't know, _human _to be an animal and I know the fight is still going on, so unless someone left to come back here before it ended…" he trailed off, but I knew where his thoughts and words had been headed. We were no longer alone and we had no clue as to who the possible intruder was. The ball of ice hardened. I was about to ask him another question when I heard a tree rustle nearby. We looked at each other and Seth came to stand in front of me, ready to "change" and protect me at a moment's notice. Soon we saw something emerge from the foliage and I stifled a cry of terror. I instinctively drew a step back from our two unwelcomed guests. One of them was someone I didn't recognize, but I could tell by his blood red eyes and the wicked curve of his lips that he was the worst type of vampire. The second was Victoria. Suddenly it all made sense. The army, the attack, the fight. It was all a distraction. She wanted to get me alone, without protection and she knew the only way to do that was to make it seem as if I were being left alone for my own safety. And we'd all played right into her hand, giving her the opportunity to get what she wanted more than anything. Me. An opportunity for revenge. The ball of ice got colder, spreading throughout my entire body, keeping me frozen, unable to move, unable to scream, unable to breathe.

"Well, well. Look what we have here. Could it be that Edward left his darling Bella all alone?" said Victoria with a sardonic edge to her voice. A vindictive smile curled her lips upward as she got herself into position, preparing to lunge at just the right moment. Seth, still human, growled in front of me and prepared to pounce as well, but Victoria's friend was too fast, like he had been prepared for this. He was on Seth in a second. I watched in horror as the boy placed his hands around Seth's neck and began to choke him. At first, I saw Seth struggle, but he was so young, still so weak compared to the likes of vampires. It was a futile effort. I wanted to help, but there was nothing I could do to help, not against him and Victoria. Soon, Seth's body went slack in the boy's hand and he was dropped to the ground like a toy.

"Now, it's your turn Bella," said Victoria with a triumphant laugh. Before I could move, she had me by the throat. I was hoping that she would just kill me there, as painlessly as possible, but I'd never had that sort of luck. Instead, she held a cloth over my mouth. Before my brain could process what was happening, I felt my vision blur. There was a darkness that was closing over my mind, seeming to take with it my senses, my consciousness. And then, just like that, the world went dark.

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**Really sorry for the shortness/cliffhanger - I hate them too. But I hoped you liked the chapter otherwise :) I promise I'll have another chapter posted soon. I am probably going to start the next one off with something from Edward's point of view. Please rate and review!**


	3. Chapter 2

So...Stephanie Meyer still owns Twilight and I still don't and that still sucks :(

Anyway, so this Chapter has no Bella/Victoria/Seth...sorry, but there is Edward. I hope you like it!

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Chapter 2

Edward's Point of View

Attack. Punch. Kick. _Snap._ I repeat this process on every newborn that has had the misfortune of getting too close to me. It is because that my Bella is unsafe, that I had to leave her, even if it was to protect her. I knew that Bella has been worried over everything and that she hated being apart as much as I did, but there really was no reason for her fears. She has a hard time comprehending just how easy this was. But that's not her fault. I had the advantage of being able to see Alice's premonitions. I knew that we would be rid of this threat without any problems, not even breaking a metaphorical sweat. That's why I've spent the past week consoling her, trying to soothe her fears away. And I think it worked for the most part. She was still nervous, that much I could tell, but I think my reassurances have helped her. Although, there really was no reason to even consider worrying. We'd only been fighting for a short time and we were already halfway through the newborn army. It ended up being larger than anticipated, but with the help of the dogs, it was a pretty even fight, even if we were outnumbered. I took a look around me after snapping the neck of another vampire, assessing my surroundings. I could see Alice and Jasper on the left side of the clearing, fighting side by side, moving in perfect harmony. A small smile made its way t my face. I didn't have to worry about them. On the right side of the clearing, I could see Emmet tearing through the newborn. No calculated movements, no plan, just pure power and strength. Behind him I saw Rosalie snapping the necks off f anything that dared move or come too close. They were okay. In the middle of the clearing was Carlisle and Esme, fighting in a style similar to that of Alice and Jasper, just less…elegant. And then there were the wolves. They were everywhere, biting off heads, shaking off attacks. Although it is hard for me to admit, they were really doing an amazing job. All that was left was me. I looked at my closer surroundings, seeing the bodies of those I'd destroyed. I ran to where I saw a group of newborns and followed the same pattern. Attack. Punch. Kick. _Snap._ I was absorbed in my own head, not even hearing the minds around me. I was in a place where nothing could penetrate my concentration, my focus. I was unstoppable. And before I knew it I was out of necks to break, of newborns to kill. I looked up, and saw that my family was all there, done fighting, as were the werewolves. It was over. We had won. _We'll be back in a minute. We're just going to change forms. _I heard from the "voice" of Sam Uley. While they changed, my family and I began to tear apart the remains of our fallen enemies. Now that the fighting was over, urge to see Bella intensified tenfold. I missed her so much, and now that I had nothing to distract me from it, it was at the forefront of my mind, consuming my being in ache to be near her again, to have her in my arms. I sighed, because I knew that until business here was finished I wouldn't be able to see her. It couldn't have been more than an hour that I'd been away, but still it felt like an eternity. I ripped the arm in my hand from its socket with much more than force than was necessary. I took a deep, useless breath, trying to calm myself. Only a little while longer, then I'd be with my angel again. I smiled at the thought. I watched Jasper and Emmet pile the dismembered parts in the center of the clearing and setting them ablaze with fire.  
It was then that the pack came back, all human, all clad in only shorts. The fire separated our two kinds. We were once again divided. "Okay. Now that threat has been neutralized, I think it best we return to the terms of our treaty," spoke Carlisle calmly. "We cannot thank you enough for the help you have given us. You have helped save my family, and for that I am eternally grateful."

As Sam nodded and opened his mouth to speak, he was cut off by Jacob, who said, "Bella's part of our family too."  
A growl formed in my throat at the thoughts running through his head. Emmet, who was standing next to me, put a restraining arm around me. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. Carlisle responded before I could.

"Of course," he said with smile and nod of his head. "As I was saying, I think it best if we return to following the rules of the treaty. Agreed?"

"Agreed," said Sam. Turning to his pack he said, "Boys, the treaty is, as of now, back in effect. Understood?" There was a respectful nod from all of them, Jacob's more hesitant then the others.

"Should I go get Seth?" Jacob asked. _And Bella?_ His mind added. I glared at him and he turned away from me. _Get out of my head! _He screamed to only me. I just stared at the side of his face, daring him o test my patience right now.

"Yes," responded Sam, "Bring him back to the reservation. We will see you both there." And just like that, it was just me, Jacob, my family and our dying fire left in the clearing.

I turned to Carlisle and said, "I'm going to get Bella." Without waiting for a response, I was off, running full speed to the campsite. I could hear them following me, along with Jacob, but I paid them no mind. In just a few minutes, I would be with my Bella again and that was all that mattered. Maybe that's why I didn't notice that something was wrong until I got there.

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Sorry again, I just thought that was a good place to end it. The next chapter will be longer and will definitely have Bella/Victoria in it. Hope you liked it. Please Rate and Review!


	4. Chapter 3

**So, once again, I have the great displeasure of telling you that I don't own Twilight, just this story/plot. I know. It makes me sad too, but that's what I get for not being Stephanie Meyer. **_**Sigh.**_

**Okay, so I'm really sorry it took me a while to update, but my teachers decided it would be fun to assign a six page research paper so I had a lot of other writing to do. **_**But**_** now that that fun is over with, I can get back to the story. I hope to update at least once every two or three days but depending on the type of week it is it may be more like four or five days. Anyway, back to the story. This chapter has multiple POVs, I hope you don't mind. There's kind of a lot-ish going on. Hope you like it!**

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Chapter 3

I don't know how long I'd been out for, but when I came to, it took a while for my grogginess to subside. It was like I was swimming through water, everything slower, heavier, dreamlike. But, when you break the surface, time catches up with itself and you are immediately brought back to reality. When I broke through the surface of the drugs my mind had been under, I wasn't just brought back to reality, I was thrown into it at full force. As soon as that barrier broke, a flood of memories came rushing at me. The newborn army. The battle. The campsite. Victoria. I remembered her partner coking Seth into unconsciousness and then Victoria holding something over my mouth, presumably laced with some drug. And then…nothing. Until now. The first thing I registered was the fact that I couldn't see anything. I tried blinking my eyes, but the darkness was still there. I was blindfolded, and I could feel the tape covering my mouth. The next thing that I realized was that I was sitting in an uncomfortable chair. I tried to move and found that my legs, feet and hands were bound as well. Luckily though, nothing hurt when I tried to move except for a slight ache in my head. I had a feeling that wouldn't last very long. As if on cue, I could see a light go on through my blindfold. Not a bright one, but enough to tell me I was no longer alone. Then I felt cool hands rip it off my eyes. I blinked at the sudden light; its only source shining down on me like a spot light. I looked down and could see all the rope and tape binding me to the chair. I tried to look around the room, but something was holding back my hair. Or someone. In a blurred movement to fast to process, my hair was released and my captor came to face me. Although her eyes were a deep, bright crimson, their most notable quality was the excitement I saw in them, a terrifying gleam of anticipation. And when she spoke, her voice held the same tone. "Oh good, you're finally awake. Now the fun can _really_ begin." I tried to break free, I tried to call out, but it was no use. Victoria was already coming towards me.

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Edward's Point of View

When I got to the camp, I knew something was wrong. I could smell only the remnants of Bella's scent, but the familiar beat of her heart was missing. There was something else too I heard Seth's heartbeat. It was slow and irregular. I walked around the tent and saw him lying there, unconscious. I ran over to him and tried to wake him up, but it was no use and his mind was blank. My stomach dropped. This couldn't be happening. Or maybe I was overreacting again. Maybe Seth had just somehow gotten hurt somehow and Bella had gone looking for help. Yes, I'm sure that's what happened. What else could it possibly be? That's when I noticed that there were two other scents. One was completely foreign to me, but the other was familiar. My mind was still trying to place it, but I knew it from somewhere. As my brain tried to figure it out, I went inside the tent, hoping for some sort of clue or _something. _Anything was better than not knowing…unless something happened to her. That would NOT be better. As I ran to the tent, I started getting worked up again. Oh god, what if she's hurt? What if something happened? What if someone took her? I stopped dead in my tracks, dread forming in my stomach. That was it. That was when it clicked. The scent belonged to Victoria. My fear almost consuming me completely, I ran inside the tent. There, on top of a pile of blankets, was a note. It was folded like a place card, my name on the outside. I grabbed it so fast; it was as if it had just appeared in my hand. As I read, I dropped to my knees, overcome with grief and guilt. But then it turned to anger.

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Jasper's Point of View

By the time the rest of us got to the campsite, Edward was already panicking. I could feel all of his emotions; worry, panic, anger, fear, guilt. It was all there, overwhelming him. When we arrived, he was running, full speed at the nearby trees. The site was n ruins, the tent in ruins. I believed that was his doing because right now, he was tearing the limbs off trees, breaking them down to shreds.  
"Edward!" Carlisle shouts. "What has gotten into you? Where is Bella?" We all start looking around, searching for the human that has come to mean so much to him, to all of us. That's when we saw an unconscious Seth. And no Bella. At that moment, Edward let out a menacing half growl, half scream while tearing a tree in half. Carlisle looked at me and nodded. I didn't have to be Edward to know what he was thinking. I used my "gift" to calm him down just as Emmet and Rosalie ran over to him, holding him back from destroying the entire forest. When he was still, I could see the distress on his face, clear even to those without my power. He as panting unnecessarily, obviously distraught even with my power to calm him down.

"Now Edward, son, _please_ tell us what happed." Carlisle said, slightly desperate.

"She's gone," he said while struggling to break free, "She took her."

"Who to her?" This time it was Alice asking. I could feel the slight panic coming off of her at the idea of someone taking Bella. No one else, Rosalie included, was happy about it either. In response, Edward bowed his head and started crying dry, tearless sobs, my "gift" no longer able to help him. I could feel the pain and guilt coming off of him in waves.

"Edward, what is going on?" I asked him. Everyone started walking closer to him.

"I should have listened to her. I should have been here to protect her. I should have-"

"Edward! Please, tell us what is going on!" Alice screamed. Edward just dropped to his knees, still restrained by Emmet and Rosalie and motioned for them to get off. They looked at Carlisle, who nodded his consent and backed off. I sent another wave of calmness over him, just to be safe. His head snapped up, his eyes piercing mine. I just shrugged and offered a weak smile. Then he pulled something out of his pocket. And handed it to me. His name was written on the front.

"I found this when I got here," he said, his voice breaking several times. "Read it out loud." He bowed his head again. And I read the note out loud. As I did, I began to feel so many different things from everyone, I couldn't be sure which was mine, but there was something that they all shared. They were all filled with pain and fear. It read:

Edward,

You took the love of my life, and now I've taken yours. You killed him over his game, so now I'll kill her over mine. You have until noon tomorrow to find her while I have some of my own fun. If you fail, all you will have left of your precious Isabella is her corpse.

With pure hatred,  
Victoria

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**What did you think? Hopefully you loved it ;p I know that I said that I don't like cliffhangers and that I try not to write chapters that way but I couldn't help it. It was just too perfect. Anyway, I'm debating having a little bit in Victoria's POV in the next chapter, but I'm undecided. If you have an opinion, let me know. The next chapter will have some Bella torture so be warned. And for all you Jacob fans, I hat eto tell you but he's not really in the strory that much. Sorry :/ Please please please rate and review! Thanks to all the people who have reviewed and followed and favorited; it means so much to me that you guys appreciate and like the story :D **


	5. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I just wanted to say how sorry I am that it took me **_**this**_** long to update. I really am sorry to keep you waiting. The truth is, a few days after my last update, I received very unexpected, very devastating news and writing just didn't seem important and it has taken me a little while to get back to a point where the things that used to mean a lot to me felt worth it again. But, now that I have reached a better state of mind, I really felt like continuing this story and not making you wait anymore. But I digress; you don't care about my problems so I'll get back to the story. Hopefully you like this next chapter and it was worth the wait and I hope you don't hate me for taking so long. This is also a kind of short one because I just wanted to let you know that I hadn't abandoned the story. Any who, I decided to add part from Victoria's POV, just to try and give some insight into her mindset, even though nothing really new happens during that scene. Hope you enjoy . **

**Once again I must tell you that I still don't own the Twilight series, just this story. It's really my fault for not being Stephanie Meyer…but since I'm not I'm just going to have to get over it :(**

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Chapter 4

Victoria's Point of View

I could feel my excitement rising as Bella came to. _Finally_ I would have my vengeance. I had to be careful in my planning, finding some _creative _forms of hurting her that wouldn't tempt me with her blood, all while avoiding that annoying little vampire's (I think her name was Alice) visions. But now, after over a year of preparing and anticipation, she was an arm's length away. I licked my cold lips, my eagerness nearly overwhelming me. _We finally got her, James, _I thought as I watched her take in her surroundings. I saw her I eyes go wide with fear as she remembered, as she realized. Mine widened with eagerness. I ran to the back of the room, stopping when I was right behind her hair. I grabbed the ends of her hair, a first to inhale her scent, to familiarize myself with it, and then as a restraint as she tried to look around the room. She froze up when she realized someone was holding her back. With speed too fast for her tiny mind to see, I ran back in front of her. She looked scared, and I smiled knowing that she knew what was coming. As I walked towards her, I said in a fake, overly sweet voice, "Oh good, you're finally awake. Now the fun can _really_ begin."

Bella's Point of View

As Victoria came closer, I could feel the adrenaline begin to work its way through my blood stream, trying to make me chose between fight and flight as my heart beat faster and faster, but neither of those were options. I was forced into door number three, the door no one likes to talks about. It's the door that hides in the shadows at the end of the hallway, the one that everyone's afraid of, that leads to a room filled of scary things that go bump in the night. It's the option where you are forced to sit there and do nothing. She just kept coming towards me, dragging it out as she watched the fear grow in my eyes. I shut them tight, preparing for the coming pain, not wanting her to have the satisfaction of seeing her effect on me so clearly. So I waited, but the impact I was expecting never came. Instead, I felt her cold, dead hand grab my head. I was sure she was going to crush my skull and I tried to squirm out of her grasp but I knew it was useless. I'd been around Edward enough to know that. _Edward_. My thoughts were immediately consumed by him as I felt something sticky on my head. His face, his eyes, his love for me and mine for him. Wait, thus wasn't right. I felt no pain, only four, round sticky feeling spots on my forehead, and a few more on my arms and chest. And Victoria's icy hand was gone as well. Shocked, I opened my eyes, but there was something wrong with my vision; there were four, thin lines leaving me with a partially obstructed view. I moved my head, looking for Victoria and the lines swayed with the motion. But I found her, sitting about ten feet in front of me by a machine, humming with electricity, with wires coming out f it that lead underneath my seat. There was a control panel on the side of the machine, a simple dial and red button on it. It too had a multitude of wires. Wires. That's when it struck me. The wires from the machine were attached to me. My eyes flicked to Victoria and I saw the slow, vindictive smile spread across her beautiful face. I hated that smile, the pleasure she got out of seeing me panic.

"You see Bella," she said slowly, walking with measured steps the controls, "You are somewhat of a problem for me. For over a year now, I have wanted nothing more than to cause you pain and suffering, like you and your Edward have caused me. But hurting you posed a risk." She lifted her hand slowly, making sure I noticed her every movement. "If I spilt your blood like I so _desperately_ wanted, I might just kill you. And so I thought to myself," she tilted her head to the side, a venomous smile on her lips as she placed her hand on the dial, "Now what am I going to do about that? Should I just go for Edward instead?" A ball of ice as cold as her heart formed in my stomach at the sound of his name. If anything happened to him…She continued as she, ever so slowly, turned the dial, making the machine hum louder and louder with each movement, "But I decided that wouldn't do. I wanted him to watch your pain, see your hurt, to _feel_ everything that I've felt." Her voice took on a rough quality then and her smile was gone. Her eyes flashed with pain and hatred and spite and her jaw was set in a hard line. The machine was buzzing so loudly now, I thought it might break. I saw her hand on the dial and saw when it stopped being able to turn. She moved her hand, hovering above the red button. Uselessly, I tried to break free from my constraints, but I was stuck. Dread bubbled up inside me and my entire being locked up, preparing itself for the pain that was about to come. "And so," Victoria continued, dropping her hand to the button, "I got creative." And with that, she pushed down hard on the button. I squeezed my eyes shut and -

The pain was so intense I thought I would explode. It felt as if every cell in my body were trying to rip itself free and explode out of my body. I tried to hold back the scream, but the pain needed a release. Red, hot burning pain coursed throughout my body. I could feel myself jerking and twitching in my seat as my screams grew louder, tearing from my throat like the insides of me were trying to do. And still, through it all, I heard Victoria's evil, giddy laugh.

Edward's Point of View

This is all my fault. I left her how could I have left her on her own? I knew Victoria was still out there, I knew Bella was scared and didn't want me to leave. But I did. I'm a monster, and now my angel was going to pay the price. Dry, soundless sobs racked my entire being. I felt someone's hands on my shoulder and immediately jerked away and stood all at once. It was Alice. _Edward, _her thoughts whispered painfully, _we can still find her. There's still hope. We can get her back._ I stood straighter at that and looked around the clearing, but all I saw was Bella, my sweet darling Bella. Her chocolate brown hair, her thoughtful eyes, her warm smile…

"Edward," someone said out loud. I think it was Jasper. "I know you're hurting right now. Trust me, I _know._ But right now, we don't have time for you to freak out. The longer we wait, the longer Bella is with Victoria. Do you really want that?" My head snapped up then, eyes locking with Jasper's. His eyes shone with emotions, undecipherable to me. I searched the thoughts of my family as my gaze flicked between all of them. All of them, even Rosalie, were distraught and worried. Alice was almost as torn up as I was, but she was able to realize that Bella needed help and that my freaking out wasn't going to rescue her from whatever evil Victoria was putting her through. Trying to focus on ht thought instead of the stream of images flashing through my mind, some just of Bella's beautiful face, others of various horrifying scenarios she could be being put through, I straightened my back and cleared my throat and said, "So what are we going to?" I could hear my own determination to find Bella, the venom that laced my words as I swore to myself I would get her back, safe and sound, if it was the last thing I do. Because if I didn't, it would be.

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**So…thoughts? I hope it was worth the wait. Please, please rate and review, they mean a lot to me.**


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